


Missed Connection

by Zivitz



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23863135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zivitz/pseuds/Zivitz
Summary: The meeting Lily and Donna never had.
Relationships: Donna Paulsen & Lily Specter, Donna Paulsen/Harvey Specter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Missed Connection

**Author's Note:**

> For Victoria

“Are you sure you want to do this? Because there’s no turning back.”

“Harvey, I’m calling your mother not facing a firing squad.”

“I’m still not sure I like the idea of you two getting along without me.”

“Goodnight, Harvey.”

Donna smiled as she hung up the phone and stirred honey into her tea. This wasn’t the first time she’d video chat with Lily, but it’s the first time she’d be talking to her one on one. She and Harvey were spending a rare night apart, the last few days overwhelming both of them to the point where they mutually decided to take a night to themselves. Lily had mentioned on one of their joint phone calls wanting to get to know Donna better, and they’d arranged a video date, “Just us girls,” Lily had said.

She glanced at the clock and brought her tea to her laptop, pausing on the way to check her reflection and smooth down a stray hair. She wasn’t given to be nervous about meeting new people, but this wasn’t just new people it was _Harvey’s mother_ and she desperately wanted it to go well. Knowing she’d just freak herself out the longer she put it off, and she hit ‘call’ and took a deep breath.

Lily answered with a lilting, “Donna! It’s so nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you, too.”

“I’m glad we’re getting the chance to talk without Harvey around. I love him, but he’s very-“

“Self-centered? Egotistical? Vain?” she asked with a smile.

Lily laughed. “All of the above.”

“He’s also kind, generous, and loyal. You raised a wonderful son, Lily.”

“Despite myself, I think.”

Donna sipped her tea. “One mistake doesn’t define your whole self.”

Lily smiled wanly. “He said you were wise.”

“Harvey?”

“Gordon.” Donna must have looked surprised because Lily said, “You must have known he really liked you.”

“I knew we got along, but I didn’t think it extended so far as affection. Did you speak often? The way Harvey was made me think-“

“That our whole family was like that? It was, but Gordon and I made our peace long before Harvey was ready to. And I think I have you to thank for that.”

“All I did was give him a little push when he needed it.”

“No, I think you did more than that for him, Donna. When we had dinner he told me someone very special to him had convinced him to reconcile.” Lily put her cup down. “I’m so glad you’re finally together, Donna. I knew you were the one before Harvey said anything about it, we all did. Gordon knew way back then, but Marcus has been telling me about you for years and I just knew it was you all this time.”

Donna stared at her screen. The one? “Um. Harvey said that about me?”

Lily looked flustered. “Oh my gosh, he didn’t- well I’ll have some words for him next time, he keeps letting me put my foot in my mouth with his girlfriends and I’ve about-“

Donna laughed. “It’s fine. It’s nothing I don’t already know, I guess it’s just different to hear he’s admitting it to other people. But who else has Harvey introduced you to? Scottie?”

Lily looked abashed. “I may have assumed that Paula was the special someone he mentioned, and it was pretty clear by her response that she wasn’t.”

Donna almost choked on her tea. “Oh, you met Paula?”

“I don’t want to bring up a sore subject. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

Donna paused, putting down her cup. “It’s not a sore subject, exactly. But it does represent a difficult time in my life.”

“I’m so sorry, Donna, I really shouldn’t-“

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Lily. Paula is part of his- and our- history. I think… I think he needed to prove to himself that he could make a relationship work.”

“It’s a shame he didn’t try to prove that with you,” she said, and there was a hint of disapproval in her voice.

“I won’t lie that it hurt. But I think in the end she was safe. She knew all of his baggage and hadn’t rejected him.”

“I’m asking the wrong person, but do you know why…” Lily shrugged slightly, her own cup in one hand.

“She asked him to choose between us.”

Lily frowned. “Well that was a foolish thing to do.”

“It was the first time he’d really fought for me, but it broke him to do it. After that, well. It took a while. But then he was ready, and-” Donna smiled brightly. “It’s been amazing. It’s like he’s making up for lost time. He’s sweet, and thoughtful- well, as thoughtful as Harvey ever is- and he is **incredibly** generous-“ she stopped short and flushed as she remembered this was Harvey’s _mother_ she was talking to.

Lily seemed to understand and just laughed. “I’m glad you’re happy, Donna. I’m glad he’s making you as happy as you make him. Which is very, very happy.”

Donna almost beamed. “He’s not perfect, but he’s perfect for me.”

“All the great loves are like that, I think.” Lily put her mug down. “Now, Harvey tells me you’re into the arts?”

“Theatre, really, though it’s been a while.” They spend the better part of the next hour discussing everything: Donna’s theatre career and why she never went full time (“It just seemed less important as time went on,” she said, and Lily gave her a knowing look), her family, Harvey’s childhood (“And then he tried to be helpful by emptying it in the kitchen sink. I just wanted to sell the house and walk away.”), Lily’s career, her art, Marcus’s children (“I won’t ask what you think I’m going to ask, but I’ll let you know I’m thinking it,”), and making plans for a visit.

“…you really should come down for a weekend soon, we can go to a play and take Harvey’s card shopping.”

“Harvey’s card?” Lily asked.

“Well, he might want to come along too, but it’s really the card we need.”

“Spoken like the wife he deserves,” she laughed, and then covered her mouth with a hand when she realized what she’d said.

Donna opened her mouth to reply, to say “don’t worry about it” or “I might as well be” or “it’ll happen sooner than you think”, but she was interrupted by the lock clicking over in her door and she rolled her eyes. “Guess who’s here,” she asked Lily.

“Oh, he didn’t.”

“Didn’t what,” asked Harvey, dropping his overnight bag by the fireplace and coming over to give Donna a chase but lingering kiss. There was a cough from the computer speakers. Harvey glanced over and sighed, resting his forehead on Donna’s shoulder for a moment as she shook with repressed laughter.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, Harvey. Not that I’m not glad to see you, but you just interrupted a lovely girls night.”

“Sorry.”

Donna made a sound in her throat. “He’s not that sorry.”

“Hey!”

Lily grinned at the two of them. “I should get going anyway, I have an early class tomorrow. Goodnight Donna, it was wonderful to get to know you and I can’t wait to see you in person.”

“Have a good night, and thank you for all that dirt on Harvey.” She glared at him before turning back to the screen. “Oh, call me about that weekend and we’ll set something up soon.”

Harvey said his goodbyes and Donna clicked out of the call, closed her laptop, and turned on him with a pointed look.

“What?”

“ _We_ were supposed to be getting some space tonight. Tired, overwhelmed, overextended. Remember that?”

Harvey shrugged and pulled her out of her chair. “I missed you,” he admitted.

Donna couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face as he kissed his way along her jaw. “Then it’s a pretty good thing you’re here, because I missed you, too.”

“Really?” he breathed against her ear, and she shuddered against the goosebumps that raced across her flesh. 

“Really,” she sighed, and then a thought came to her and she grinned. “Even if you did empty the potty into the sink when you were two.”


End file.
